Parkland school shooting spurs Rutherford County students to #NationalSchoolWalkout

FGCU Student and News-Press Citizen Editorial Board Member Bruno Halpern talks about attending a vigil for students and the inspiration that he sees around the students protesting and speaking out for safer schools at Tallahassee and around Florida.
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Safety concerns

School officials are concerned for safety of students who participate in the walkout, said Rutherford County Schools spokesman James Evans. Director Don Odom has planned to meet with other principals in the district to determine safety procedures.

Riverdale Principal Ryan Nance is working closely with Ramsey "to determine what would be acceptable during the school day," with the possibility of holding the event indoors.

"The concern is about having an outdoor event — the details of which would be known ahead of time — that would involve so many students. It presents a security issue for an event that may draw lots of attention from the community at-large," Evans said. "The last thing we want to do is put students in an unsecure situation where they could be at-risk."

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With every mass shooting, positions on gun control seem to harden more with no major breakthroughs. These advocates are accelerating efforts to bypass the system and create change at the community level.
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Widespread movement

Although no other schools have been registered with ActionNetwork.org as an official walkout site, students from other high schools have expressed interest in participating.

Blackman High School student Val Damico plans to take part in the walkout.

"I’m ... standing up for other people for the gun rights law. I think there is a lot that needs to be changed. The (shooting) that happened in Florida should have never happened in the first place. The (shooter) when he went and bought gun, they did no background check. If they had, he’d never have been given a gun in the first place," Damico said.

Damico is also using the walkout as a time to represent the LGBT community at Blackman.

Threat of discipline

Damico was told students will be counted absent if they walk out, and knows "there might be other things that happen if we walk." But his family is supportive.

Around 3,000 protesters gathered outside of the Florida Capitol Building on Wednesday in support of gun reform. The protest comes one week after the shooting in Parkland, Florida that left 17 people dead.(Photo: Andrew Salinero/FSView)

"I think that it is important for young people, such as those in school, who can't vote yet to be able to express their opinions on current politics. ... I'm hoping it picks up traction here. It's a large school, so there's a lot of potential," Wilson said.

Wilson said he and other students are worried about school safety and want to send a message to legislators and "push for change."

"How effective it is depends on how public and large it is. I think. If nationally it gains big media attention, I think that will be largely effective," Wilson said.

Protesters gathered outside of the Florida Capitol Building, Wednesday, in support of gun reform. The protest comes one week after the shooting in Parkland, Fla. at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, that left 17 people dead. Andrew Salinero, USA TODAY NEWORK

A survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting massacre called out President Trump at the rally in Tallahassee on Wednesday, asking him, "Mr. President, what is my life worth?" Andrew Salinero, USA TODAY NEWORK

Brandon Wolfe, a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre, addresses the crowd at the rally in Tallahassee, alongside students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. "Do your job, or stay out of our way!" he emphasized to the crowd and to lawmakers in attendance. Andrew Salinero, USA TODAY NEWORK

Former American astronaut Scott Kelly walks out of the Florida Capitol building in Tallahassee. Kelly became an advocate for gun control after his wife, Gabby Giffords, was nearly assassinated in Casas Adobes, Arizona on Jan. 8th, 2011. Andrew Salinero, USA TODAY NEWORK

Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum marches with Florida State students down College Avenue in Tallahassee on their way to the Florida Capitol to support gun reform. Feb. 21, 2018. ANDREW SALINERO, USA TODAY NETWORK VIA THE FSVIEW

Jodi-Ann Henningham, right, and Jeremiah Carter, both FAMU students from Broward County lead chants as students from the university head to the Old Capitol to join thousands of others for a rally against gun violence, championed by survivors of last week’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Feb. 21, 2018. JOE RONDONE, USA TODAY NETWORK

A rally against gun violence in Florida culminates at the steps of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivors lead the way on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2018. JOE RONDONE, USA TODAY NETWORK VIA THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students walk to the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. The students are in town to lobby the Florida Legislature to push for gun control laws after 17 people were killed last week by at their Parkland, Fla. school. Hali Tauxe, Tallahassee Democrat via USA TODAY NETWORK

A rally against gun violence in Florida culminates at the steps of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivors lead the way Feb. 21, 2018. JOE RONDONE, USA TODAY NETWORK VIA THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

A rally against gun violence culminates at the steps of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. as Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School survivors lead the way on Feb. 21, 2018. JOE RONDONE, USA TODAY NETWORK VIA THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School parent Sergia Felix becomes emotional on Feb. 20, 2018 as she remembers the fear she felt when she learned that there was a shooter at her child's school on Feb. 14, 2018, as she and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students meet with legislators at the Florida Capitol. Hali Tauxe, Tallahassee Democrat via USA TODAY NETWORK

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School freshman Emma Stravitz, 14, listens during a meeting with a senator during a visit with fellow students to the Florida Capitol on Feb. 21, 2018. Wednesday. Stravitz was in the freshman building when a shooter infiltrated her school last week killing 17 people. Hali Tauxe, Tallahassee Democrat via USA TODAY NETWORK

Survivors from the fatal shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School arrive at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee, Feb 21, 2018. The students are in town to lobby the Florida Legislature to push a ban on the assault-style rifle used to kill over a dozen people a week ago. Mark Wallheiser, AP

Tallahassee high schoolers descend on the Florida Capitol to join students from Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School to push lawmakers for gun and school safety laws, Feb. 21, 2018. Karl Etters, USA TODAY NETWORK

Letter-writing campaign

Instead of a school walkout, Oakland High School Student Cariyana McKinley-Adams is organizing a letter-writing campaign for students and faculty of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., where 17 were killed in a mass shooting. "Dear Stoneman...from OHS" is sponsored by the student council.

Through Tuesday, members of the student council will have a table set up during lunchtime with information and supplies to write letters of encouragement to students at Stoneman Douglas.

Oakland High School student Cariyana McKinley-Adams is organizing an Oakland High School letter writing campaign "Dear Stoneman...from OHS" sponsored by the Student Council.(Photo: Submitted)

“I would like to greet them all on the first day back with letters of support. ... Not the email kind or the texting kind, but real letters handwritten and signed by kids from our amazing community. I want them to hold the envelopes addressed from around the world to see that they are not alone and there is still kind and caring people in this world," said Oakland librarian LeAnn Hays, the student council advisor.